Are class size differences related to pupils’ educational progress and classroom processes? Findings from the Institute of Education Class Size Study of children aged 5-7 Years



that the effect of reception year class sizes on progress in year 1 literacy is dependent
on the change in class size between the two years. The relationship between Year 1
literacy and reception year class size is shown for the three groups separately in
Figure 6.

Figure 6: Relationship between Reception class size and literacy progress in Year 1.

These results show that the progress made in small classes in reception is maintained in
Year 1 for pupils who move to smaller or similar sized classes, but that moving to a
larger class between the two years loses the benefit of small reception year classes. In
addition to the interaction between the effect of reception year class size and change in
class size between reception and Year 1, there was found to be an effect of moving to
classes of different sizes between reception and Year 1 on both literacy and mathematics
progress in Year 1. There was therefore evidence of what might be called a ‘disruption
effect’, in that pupils’ progress over Year 1 was adversely affected by moving to a
different sized class, especially a larger one. There was less change in class size between
Year 1 and Year 2 and there were no effects of change in class size on attainment in
Year 2.

Effect of Reception year class size on Year 1 - mathematics

The results showed that pupils in larger Reception year classes made more progress
during Year 1, and the gains made in the Reception year have been greatly eroded by
the end of Year 1.

Effect of Reception year class size on Year 2 results

The results indicated the gains in literacy attainment in Reception that were
maintained for pupils not moving between larger classes between Reception and Year
1 were lost during Year 2. The gains had been lost in mathematics by the end of Year
1.

Role of classroom processes in explaining Reception year class size effects

The relationships between class size and process variables have been summarised
above. However, the relationships between Reception year class size and both literacy
and mathematics attainment were found to be relatively unchanged for the additional
adjustments for those process variables included in the statistical models. Therefore it

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